Forestclan's Destiny
by gms14
Summary: Scorchkit has always dreamed about becoming a warrior of Forestclan, when she finally becomes an apprentice she is unaware of how hard it will be! Join Scorchpaw's adventure and read of adventure and friendship and danger! By: Jane May, and Fanny Cherry Edited by: Autumn Peterson
1. Chapter 1

By Jane May and Fanny Cherry

Edited By: Autumn Peterson

Forestclan:

Leader: Butterflystar- Black and white spotted she-cat with green eyes.

Deputy: Bearclaw- Large dark brown tabby tom.

Healer: Sticktail- Skinny light brown tom.

App: Starpaw - Small white she-cat with blue eyes, a star shaped mark on head.

WARRIORS/APPS:

Badgerstripe- Black and white striped tom with a stripe down face.

App: Thrushpaw- Brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Oakpelt- Cream colored tom with amber eyes.

App: Rainpaw- Light gray tom with blue eyes.

Owlcloud- Gray and white spotted she-cat with amber eyes.

App: Scorchpaw- Ginger she-cat with tufts of black fur and green eyes.

Duststripe- Pale brown tom with darker stripes.

Mintleaf- White she-cat with dark green eyes.

Spottedsky- White tortoiseshell she-cat with hazel eyes.

Hawkflight- Dark brown tom with yellow eyes.

Foxtail- Ginger tom with long fluffy tail.

Lionheart- Thick furred golden tom.

Poppyfeather- Beautiful light ginger she-cat with blue eyes.

QUEENSKITS:

Laurelleaf- Gray and silver tabby she-cat. Mother of Badgerstripe's kits.

Kits: Snowkit- spotted silver she-cat. Sparrowkit- Ginger and brown tabby tom.

Ottersplash- Ginger and white she-cat, expecting Bearclaw's kits.

ELDERS:  
>Eaglestone- Once strong gray and white tom.<p>

Speckleflower- Speckled she-cat, oldest cat in clan.

Birdwing- Black she-cat with green eyes.

Chapter One:

Scorchkit grimaced as her mother rasped her tongue over her ginger pelt. "Poppyfeather! I'm clean enough. I'm not a kit anymore!" she complained. Poppyfeather purred and mewed back: "You still are, at least for a few more minutes. Now finish up your ears and let me work on your brother." Thrushkit complained "aw, mom! I already cleaned myself." Scorchkit giggled. Her brother's brown tabby pelt was filled with brambles and mud had turned his paws dark brown. "If I'm clean, can I be an apprentice?" Snowkit squeaked. Laurelleaf purred, "You're not getting away that easily. You still have four moons before you're ready to be apprenticed." "Really, Scorchkit! Wash your ears!" Scorchkit grumbled and began pulling her paws over her orange ears tipped with black tufts. Scorchkit saw a flicker of a cat climbing the High Stone, and nudged her brother. "Let's go!" The two kits scrambled down the tree trunk from their lofty dens and waited eagerly at the bottom of the rock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath High Stone for a clan meeting!" called a black and white she-cat who was sitting regally on the highest rock while Scorchkit and Thrushkit waited patiently at the end of the stone in barely concealed anticipation. Scorchkit knew the black and white she-cat was her leader Butterflystar, she watched the she-cat as she looked fondly over her cats as they clambered down to see the two kits become apprentices. Scorchkit hoped one day she could be Scorchstar, _yes _she thought _I like the sound of that. _Once all the cats had gathered by the base of the rocks Butterflystar started to talk, "we are here to continue the tradition of ForestClan's cats and make two kits into apprentices. Thrushkit? Are you ready to train to defend your clanmates at any cost, and work your hardest to be the best cat you can be?" Thrushkit stepped forward. "Yes, I am." Scorchkit could see that he was quivering with excitement, but his voice remained steady. How could he be that serious on a day like this? She thought. "You will now be known as Thrushpaw, and your mentor will be Badgerstripe." Badgerstripe! _He's so lucky, Badgerstripe is a really strong warrior. _Scorchkit thought. Thrushpaw leaned up to touch noses with his mentor, and then stood back beside the others. "Scorchkit? Are you also ready to become an apprentice and learn to defend your clan?" "Yes, I am!" Scorchpaw squealed, a little too loudly. She licked her chest fur in embarrassment and then looked up at her leader. "You will now be known as Scorchpaw, and your mentor will be Owlcloud." _Owlcloud_! Scorchpaw thought. _What an amazing warrior!_ She had always admired the graceful ForestClan warrior, and wished she had the same large beautiful amber eyes that Owlcloud was named for. Scorchpaw leaned up to touch noses with her new mentor, and Owlcloud whispered; "I have a feeling you're going to become a great warrior. Scorchpaw glowed. "Thrushpaw! Scorchpaw! Thrushpaw! Scorchpaw! Thrushpaw! Scorchpaw!" The Clan cheered from below the rock and high above in the treetops.

"I want you and Thrushpaw to go and get your nest ready for tonight because you're going to need a good night's sleep after training today!" said Owlcloud looking to Scorchpaw and Thrushpaw. Scorchpaw felt a prickle of excitement, what were they going to be doing? Checking borders? Chasing stray rouges out of the territory? Or picking fleas off of the elders? Scorchpaw didn't care what they did as long as it was entertaining. "So who again is our denmates?" asked Thrushpaw looking to his sister quizzically, after the two had leaped up to the dens. Scorchpaw was about to answer but a light gray tom emerged from the den, he narrowed his blue eyes at the two newest apprentices. "What are you two kits doing here?" he asked, the way his voice sounded make Scorchpaw want to claw his ears but she restrained herself and instead said as politely as she could, "hey Rainpaw how are you?" he was about to reply but she interjected "anyway we're your new denmates and we've come to set our nests up, but don't worry they won't be too far away from yours, possibly as close as we can". Rainpaw frowned and disappeared back into the den but not after shooting Scorchpaw and Thrushpaw a look of scorn, "whatever!" he shouted over his shoulder. Thrushpaw shrugged and together he and Scorchpaw entered the den for the first time. "Wow!" Scorchpaw exclaimed. "It's huge!" The nursery had started to become crowded, especially after Ottersplash moved in, expecting Bearclaw's kits. "Since you're new, you two can have the nests in the front, where it's nice and cold." Rainpaw said with a smug look on his face, curling into his warm and deep nest filled with feathers and moss. "I'll take this one," said Thrushpaw, touching his paw to a bracken nest in the front of the den. Scorchpaw padded over to one next to him and said; "We can find more feathers and moss later to make them at least more comfortable than Rainpaw's thorny nest." Rainpaw glared at them, and then buried his head under his tail and settled to sleep. "Scorchpaw! Thrushpaw!" Scorchpaw heard Owlcloud call to them. "Come on! We're going to explore the territory." Scorchpaw leaped in excitement. "Yay! We're seeing ForestClan territory for the first time!" Both apprentices leaped out of the den and stood, ready to follow their mentors who were only a few feet away from them. Scorchpaw felt her heart give a little jump when she realized that they were talking to Bearclaw, who sat next to Owlcloud and Badgerstripe. Bearclaw was the deputy of Forestclan and he was well respected by every cat, even if you didn't like Bearclaw you **didn't **say anything. He was a large brown tabby tom, he was lean but muscles protruded from underneath his thick pelt. He turned his gaze onto the two apprentices who were carefully making their way too their mentors we swung their gaze around to meet the young cats who were still unsure if they were going to walk up to the deputy. "Well what are you waiting for?" asked Bearclaw ushering Scorchpaw and her brother up to himself and their mentors, "I promise I won't bite!" Scorchpaw felt a flare of embarrassment when she heard the mentors chuckling. Scorchpaw was lost in thought after quite a few minutes of discussing from the mentors, she'd almost forgotten she was living in a new tree and it was the first time that she wasn't sleeping by her mother's side. Scorchpaw glanced over to the next tree where the nursery was tucked in the branches of a steep oak, she sighed when she thought it was just Laurelleaf and her kits along with Ottersplash who'd previously moved in. Scorchpaw replayed scenes in her head of Poppyfeather who would play with her when it was rainy and who told stories when she wasn't ready to go to sleep yet. "Are you coming?" asked Owlcloud jolting Scorchpaw from her thoughts, "yes! Of course Owlcloud" exclaimed Scorchpaw feeling very silly that she hadn't even heard her mentor say anything to her, she noticed her brother and Badgerstripe were already a great distance from herself and her gray and white mentor. Scorchpaw launched herself down from the tall tree and landed clumsily on her paws while Owlcloud landed with grace and finesse, "where are we going first?" asked Scorchpaw looking to Owlcloud as they left the camp and went deep into the forest where the birds sang high pitched notes and fluttered from branch to branch. "We're going to the Training Clearing so you will know where to go when we go down there to train" explained Owlcloud as she leaped over a fallen log while Scorchpaw had to move around it. They all trudged through the woods, squeezing through brambles and moving around large bushes of thorns. Sunlight streamed through the branches high above and made dappled golden patterns on the green forest floor. Scorchpaw breathed in the cool forest air and savored this perfect moment. Her first day out of camp!

"This is the Training Clearing." Badgerstripe said as the four cats emerged into a large area free of trees and brambles. "You will learn to fight and hunt here, but not today. We still have a lot of territory to cover!" Badgerstripe continued. Owlcloud pointed a paw at a patch of dark forest on the other side of the Training Clearing. "That's the Pine Forest. Over here is the Greenwood Forest. That forest surrounds the camp and most of our territory. Let's go to the eastern border." Scorchpaw took one last look at the training clearing and then followed her mentor. Soon she could hear the roar of rushing water. "What's that?" She yelled. She could hardly hear her own voice. "Big Stream." Badgerstripe yelled. It's our border on the east. DON'T go near there, ever!" Thrushpaw shivered. "We won't!" he said. The cats followed the Big Stream until they came to a sheer rock wall_. Wow! It's so big! _ Scorchpaw thought. "This is our northern border." Owlcloud said. "Some warriors and apprentices try and climb this to prove that they are really good climbers. I wouldn't suggest climbing it, though. That's how Falconwing died." _I'm never climbing it._ Scorchpaw thought with a shudder.

Scorchpaw followed Owlcloud along the rock face and back into the forest until they reached a blackened stump about as tall as the High Stone. "This marks the border on this side, until the Twoleg Campground on the bottom. The stump was hit by lightning before any cats got here." Badgerstripe meowed as he passed the stinking area. _Twolegs sound so scary_! Scorchpaw thought, remembering stories of the giants hairless animals that he mother had told her. "We don't see many around here, except for one who wears green clothes and only seems to look around at the trees." Badgerstripe continued. They continued walking until they reached an oval shaped pool that sparkled in the noon day sun, "this is the Swimming Pond" said Owlcloud "you'll learn to swim here and maybe catch fish if you're lucky". They kept walking until they reached a faint trickling stream where Badgerstripe explained this is the best place to catch fish.

Scorchpaw collapsed into her nest, she was ridiculously tired after seeing the territory but she was glad that she got to! It was fun to see what Rainpaw had seen when he first started his apprenticeship and to rub it in his face! Scorchpaw had to admit that it was tiring looking everywhere but Star Falls was the best and made the journey worth it. True she'd only caught a glimpse of it but it was enchanting all the same even though it wasn't lit up like it was on the full moon it was still nice to see the cascading water. Now it was time to go to sleep, Scorchpaw felt herself getting dragged down into sleep and she was ready for it because for the first time in a while she felt great!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Wake up!" Scorchpaw heard Owlcloud call her out of her dreams and she yawned. _I almost had that mouse!_ She thought, remembering her dream. "We're going hunting today." Said Owlcloud. Suddenly Scorchpaw remembered. She was an apprentice now! "Yippee!" she cried, leaping out of bed. "Quiet before you wake the whole camp now!" Owlcloud reprimanded her. "Is Thrushpaw coming too?" She asked. "Yes." Said Owlcloud. Scorchpaw leaped onto Thrushpaw. "We're going hunting we're going hunting!" She exclaimed. Thrushpaw leaped out of his nest and said excitedly; "Really? Great!" Rainpaw put his paws over his ears. "Could you be any louder?" he grumbled. "Let's go!" said Owlcloud. "Badgerstripe is waiting outside." Thrushpaw and Scorchpaw crawled outside the den and stood on the leafy ledge before leaping down the tree trunks. Badgerstripe was waiting at the bottom. He turned and walked into the woods. "First we'll go to the training hollow to practice hunting crouches, and then we'll try out some real hunting if you do well enough." He said. "I can already do my hunting crouch." Scorchpaw boasted. She knelt down, arching her back and fixing a defiant stare on her face. "Me too!" Thrushpaw said. He thrust his tail high into the air and crouched his paws low. "Tail lower." Said Badgerstripe, pushing Thrushpaw's brown striped tail down. "Ouch!" Thrushpaw said as he fell out of balance and landed on the ground, hitting his shoulder painfully against the hard earth. Scorchpaw giggled at the look of frustration and embarrassment flashed across his face, Thrushpaw turned on his sister "don't laugh!" Scorchpaw immediately stopped and returned to her crouch when she heard the snarl in his words. She hadn't meant to upset him but he made it too easy, and besides she could laugh once in a while but she knew that it probably wasn't the best idea to mock him like that. After a few minutes of practicing Scorchpaw and Thrushpaw managed to master the hunting crouch, soon Owlcloud and Badgerstripe were teaching them how to leap on prey and give it a quick death bite. Badgerstripe took Thrushpaw to a different location to hunt well Owlcloud took Scorchpaw to a shady part of the forest to catch prey. "So remember you have to scent the air and make sure you smell something, you also have to be really quiet if you are to hear a heart beating or breath from the small prey" instructed Owlcloud gently curling her tail around her paws and sitting on the slightly damp grass, Scorchpaw looked expectantly at Owlcloud who gestured with her tail to the forest in front of her, "go on the prey isn't going to leap into your mouth now is it?" Scorchpaw slipped into her crouch and padded through the undergrowth. She scented the air and pricked her ears when she thought she heard a scramble of tiny paws and she traced the scent to a small dense bramble bush. She carefully padded towards the bush where she heard the noise. She immediately crouched low to the ground as she saw the tiny mouse nibbling a fragment of nut. Remembering to step lightly, she made her way towards the mouse slowly. When she was at just the right distance, she leapt. Catching the mouse beneath her paws, she swiftly darted down her head to kill it. "I got it!" she squealed. "Good work!" Owlcloud said. "Carry your prey, and let's go and find Badgerstripe and Thrushpaw and see how they're doing. But be quiet! Thrushpaw might still be stalking prey." "Ok!" said Scorchpaw, and she set off into the woods to look for where her brother and his mentor were training. Soon she found them in a small clearing. Thrushpaw was indeed still hunting, as Scorchpaw burst into the opening he leapt onto the prey. After killing it he called out; "I got a mouse!" "Me too!" Scorchpaw said excitedly. "Let's take those to camp and give them to the elders." Said Owlcloud. "Yes!" Said Scorchpaw. "I'll race you to camp!" said Thrushpaw and he took off carrying his mouse in his jaws. "No fair! You got a head start!" Scorchpaw tore after him. She relished running through the trees and underbrush racing her littermate. Suddenly she skidded to a halt. Thrushpaw had stopped and was staring at something lying on the forest floor. Scorchpaw gasped. It was the bloody mangled body of a… She didn't know what, it looked sort of like prey. "Badgerstripe! Come quick!" Thrushpaw called. Owlcloud and Badgerstripe soon appeared. "What is it?" Scorchpaw asked. "A ferret." Owlcloud explained. "They taste disgusting, so they aren't good as prey. Also can be quite vicious. It looks like a fox got to this one." She continued as she leaned down to sniff it. "We need to alert the camp." Badgerstripe said gruffly. "That's not all." Thrushpaw said shakily, pointing to a destroyed den. Scorchpaw looked over and saw two baby ferrets, so young their eyes had not yet been opened. "Poor little things." Said Owlcloud. "Never had a chance." "They are ferrets, enemies." Said Badgerstripe. "A kit is still a kit, no matter what kind." She contradicted sadly. "Well, now we need to tell the camp about the fox. Let's go!" Badgerstripe bounded off into the woods, followed by Thrushpaw. "It's ok, Owlcloud." Scorchpaw leaned against Owlcloud and purred. "Let's go get some fresh kill." Owlcloud was still staring sorrowfully at the destroyed den. "Alright, let's go." And she turned wearily in the direction of the camp.

The camp was full of bustling cats, Scorchpaw picked out the gray pelt of Rainpaw and his mentor Oakpelt whose cream colored pelt stood out against the deep green foliage. Scorchpaw also saw Butterflystar talking to skinny light brown tom, beside the tom was a small white she-cat who had to be Starpaw the apprentice healer, the only reason she knew was because her mother had told her about how Starpaw was blessed by Starclan with the star shaped mark on her head. The tom beside Butterflystar and Starpaw was unfamiliar to her though so she kept walking after Owlcloud and Badgerstripe. "Now Scorchpaw go give your mouse to the elders" Scorchpaw took her prey in her jaws and headed toward the elder's den, she heard Badgerstripe say the same to Thrushpaw who ran to keep up with his sister who was already a few mouse lengths ahead of him. Scorchpaw could hear a quiet stream of chatter from one of the tallest tree, it was the elder's den, Scorchpaw launched herself into the air and caught the tree trunk with her claws, and hastily she scrambled up the platform and huffed and puffed until Thrushpaw was heaving along with her. ""What are you two doing up here, your clearly not elders" snapped a creaky old voice. Scorchpaw looked up to see a black she-cat looking at her with eyes as green as rain soaked leaves, the expression was of amusement and curiosity. Scorchpaw dropped her mouse just as Thrushpaw did, "we brought food". The black she-cat got up from her nest but with some hesitation. "Birdwing don't give any to me I already had my fill" called a grumbling voice that reminded Scorchpaw like thunder, the black she-cat Birdwing looked over to her companion a frail gray and white tom with broad shoulders, maybe when the tom was younger he was strong but no longer. "Are you sure Eaglestone? One shrew can hardly be good for a hearty appetite like yours" said a quieter voice from somewhere behind Eaglestone who shifted so that Scorchpaw could make out a glimpse of speckled fur. The speckled she-cat looked up but didn't glance at the apprentices instead she looked to Eaglestone who grunted, "thank you" said the speckled she-cat turning to the apprentices who dipped their head in understanding. "Eaglestone you really must eat something" said the speckled she-cat as she retreated back to her nest, Eaglestone looked up "I'm perfectly fine Speckledflower" said Eaglestone curling into a tight ball and soon snoring. Speckledflower then turned and curled into her nest as well leaving Birdwing staring at Scorchpaw and her brother. "Thanks but you can go now" she said as if stating an obvious fact as she tore into the mouse without looking up not even as Scorchpaw and Thrushpaw launched themselves down the tree and disappeared.

"Wake up! All cats meet at the bottom of the High Stone, Now!" shouted a high voice that cut through the darkness like a slashing claw. Scorchpaw woke with a start jumping to her feet yet still dazed and disoriented, "what's going on?" asked Thrushpaw looking up from his nest his eyes clouded from sleep. "Butterflystar is calling a meeting, duh!" said Rainpaw rolling his eyes, he was already on his paws. "Don't need to be snippy" scolded Scorchpaw shouldering past Rainpaw who hissed in annoyance but didn't reply. It was dark probably hours before the sun would come up, Scorchpaw tried thinking back to before she fell asleep, she'd eaten with Owlcloud and Thrushpaw and then she'd gone back to her nest and fallen asleep or so she thought. Scorchpaw saw Owlcloud first she was huddled in a corner of the place where all the cats had gathered, Scorchpaw went and sat right next to her mentor who tried looking pleased to see her but Scorchpaw could see tension undermining her calm facial expression. "What's going on?" asked Thrushpaw plopping down next to Scorchpaw, "nothing good" said Owlcloud lifting her eyes to where Butterflystar sat, behind her Bearclaw was expressionless his eyes void of emotion. "Quiet! Quiet everyone!" yowled Butterflystar looking down on the scene of cats who immediately stopped all farther conversation. It was dead silent when Butterflystar spoke again "I had a report of finding a dead ferret and her two kits, it was a fox but extra security measures are taking place" she said when some cat gasped in the crowd, "but today I recently found out there was a third baby ferret, this one survived and was discovered by Ottersplash, Ottersplash could you please bring the baby forward?" asked Butterflystar looking down upon the ginger and white she-cat. "Yes Butterflystar" said Ottersplash picking up something small and brown and white in her jaws which Scorchpaw assumed was the baby ferret, it was. "The question is, what to do with it?" Butterflystar asked. "There is no question. We will kill the weasel and get it out of our clan for good. There is no place here for vermin." Bearclaw answered. "How could you be so heartless?" Ottersplash cried out at her mate. "This creature is only a kit. Do you not know that I am expecting little ones not unlike this one? And you would kill it?" "All right then, abandon the vermin in the woods. Nature will choose whether to save or kill the little beast." Bearclaw said defiantly. "Now, Bearclaw, this little creature may be a ferret but it is still a kit." Butterflystar said reasonably. "And Ottersplash, what if this creature lives in our camp but grows up to betray or hurt us?" She continued, turning to the fuming ginger and white she-cat. "Does anyone have anything else to say about it?" Butterflystar said, turning to the crowd. Spottedsky, a hazel-eyed white tortoiseshell she-cat spoke out. "A kit is a kit, no matter how they look, and the warrior code says we must protect any kit in danger." Several cats murmured in agreement to her, including Laurelleaf and her friend Mintleaf, a white she cat with stunning dark green eyes, but some disagreed. "That thing will grow up and hurt us all." Duststripe, a light brown tom, grumbled to Hawkflight. The dark brown tom answered "I think Spottedsky's right. A kit is a kit, and we must obey the warrior code." His yellow eyes were full of sympathy for the tiny mewling kit and thoughtfulness about what Butterflystar and Spottedsky had said. Duststripe glared at him and sauntered off to whisper with Foxtail.

Butterflystar pondered the situation. "What Spottedsky said was true. We must protect a kit in danger. Ottersplash will feed and care for this kit along with her real kittens when they come along. This kit will be treated like an equal clan member, and will train as an apprentice and finally as a warrior. Welcome her and remember to be kind. An evil warrior is not born, but raised. If all of you, or even a few of you bully her or treat her as unequal, you will have consequences. Treat her with kindness as you would any kit. This decision is final. Now everyone, back to bed".

Many different cats left that night to their own nests. Some were angry, some were sad. Some were excited, and some were happy. Some were just concerned, but everyone was thinking about the newest arrival to the clan, to be the very first ferret warrior.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Scorchpaw woke drowsily to the sound of Owlcloud coming into the den to wake her. "Scorchpaw! Ottersplash's kits were born last night!" "Awesome!" Scorchpaw answered. It had been two days since the meeting about the ferret kit. She was glad that they had chosen to keep it. "Can I see them?" She asked excitedly. "Yes, right now if you want." Scorchpaw leapt out of her nest and made her way out of the den and towards the nursery den. She peeked her head inside and saw Ottersplash sitting in a comfortable nest made of soft feathers and moss. Curled on her belly were two kits, alongside the ferret kit. All three were nursing from their mother's belly. "What are their names?" Scorchpaw asked her. "This tom," she said, pointing to a large kit that looked exactly like his mother, with bright orange splashes of color on his shining white pelt, "Is Sunkit. And the she kit," she pointed again to a small fluffy brown kit, "Is Deerkit. And this one," motioning with her tail to the ferret kit, which they had figured was a she-kit, "Is Blossomkit." "Beautiful names," Scorchpaw said, looking at the downy kits. Sunkit looked up, he couldn't see but he let out a shrill cry and scuttled like a crab towards his mother, his loud cry woke up Blossomkit who looked around sniffing the air. As much as Scorchpaw liked the ferret she couldn't help feeling like the ferret didn't belong, but she was determined to forget her thoughts and think forward to what good the clan had did and what Blossomkit could contribute. "They're so beautiful and tiny" Scorchpaw whispered as Ottersplash hustled Blossomkit and Sunkit up to her belly where Deerkit was sleeping soundly. "Thank you" said Ottersplash licking Deerkit's fluffy pelt, Scorchpaw remembered when her mother had done that for her and her brother, she remembered the nights when cold wind blew into the nursery and she had to snuggle closer. "Scorchpaw; we'll go down to the training clearing and learn some battle moves. We need to let Ottersplash rest." Owlcloud said to her. Scorchpaw said one last goodbye to the kits and followed Owlcloud out of the den and down onto the ground. "Thrushpaw and Badgerstripe will be joining us, and Oakpelt and Rainpaw are already there training." _Ugh. Not Rainpaw! _Scorchpaw thought. The grumpy apprentice always dampened her mood. Just like real rain. But she pushed aside her unhappiness and followed Owlcloud into the forest. It was a beautiful morning, with soft sunlight filtering through the treetops, and she could hear birds singing in the trees. Owlcloud said soon she would learn how to hunt them. She would have to learn everything well if she had any hope of becoming leader one day.

Owlcloud and Scorchpaw entered the clearing, where Thrushpaw and Rainpaw were both working separately with their mentors on battle moves. "Aw, you got a head start!" Scorchpaw said to Thrushpaw, bounding into the clearing. "We only just started." He answered, and then turned his attention back to Badgerstripe. "Ok, first we'll learn the basic swipe." Owlcloud said to Scorchpaw, crouching down and slashing her paw quickly forward to swipe at the air. "Remember, we always fight with sheaved claws while training." "Ok!" She answered. Crouching down low, she fixed her eyes on a drifting leaf and quickly swiped her paw out at it, shredding it in two. "How was that?" she looked up eagerly at her mentor. "That was really good! You got it on your first try! Let's try something harder." Scorchpaw could feel Rainpaw's glare across the clearing. She looked over, his cream colored mentor was teaching him a move. "Next we'll try the basic spring. First, you crouch down as if you were doing a swipe. Then, bunch up all the muscles in your back legs and get ready to jump. Leap onto your enemy and scratch them with your claws, or try and leap onto their back. Watch me." She crouched down, then sprung into the air with a ferocious yowl and landed gracefully, swirling around to look for more attackers. "Always watch your back." Owlcloud said. "Now you try." Scorchpaw did her best crouch, and then leapt into the air. As she leapt she slashed her claws and did her best yowl, and then landed with one foot off balance, but managed to right herself and swivel her paws in the dust, looking around the clearing. "That was really good, except for the landing. Nice swipes with your paws there also. Try it one more time." This time she landed perfectly. Eyes shining, she looked to Ottersplash. "Can I try fighting Thrushpaw?" She was eager to show her newfound skills. "He's still working on the swipe. But I can see if Rainpaw's ready." _Oh great! _ She thought. _I have to fight Rainpaw. He's bigger, stronger, and has had 2 moons more training than I have had! _But Owlcloud was already padding over to where Rainpaw was practicing a move. She watched him as he crouched down, then rolled over and swiped at Oakpelt's belly. Immediately after he rolled back into the crouch and leapt onto Oakpelt's back. _That was a cool move._ She thought. Soon Oakpelt and Rainpaw padded over to the center of the clearing, and Thrushpaw and Badgerstripe came over to watch also. _I have to win this fight. _

Everyone was gathered in a circle around Rainpaw and Scorchpaw. Thrushpaw and Owlcloud were cheering for Scorchpaw, while Badgerstripe had sided with Oakpelt to even it out. "Go Scorchpaw!" Thrushpaw cheered. "Rainpaw, come on, you can beat her!" Oakpelt encouraged. Scorchpaw snarled, crouched down, and then leapt, swiping out with her paws as she flew through the air. Rainpaw easily batted her aside, and then leapt at her as she struggled to land with four paws on the ground. But as his paw swiped to the side to hit her, she gathered her muscles and leapt right over Rainpaw. "I'm not defeated that easily, Rainpaw!" she taunted him as he crashed to the ground. He snarled in anger and swiped out at her. This time she quickly dodged him and started running around him, faster and faster, swiping out her paws at his grey pelt as she ran. Rainpaw yowled in anger and leapt on her back, pushing her to the forest floor. She was trapped! Instinct told her to relax and go limp, so she did. She felt Rainpaw's paws loosen ever so slightly and BANG! She was free! Rolling right underneath Rainpaw, she slashed out at his belly and then rolled into a crouch. Half a second later she sprung onto his back and floored him. Pushing down hard onto his shoulders, she kept him there until Oakpelt said, "Scorchpaw, you won." He looked thunderstruck. "How did you know that move?" Rainpaw asked, looking half amazed and half angry at losing. "I watched you do it." Scorchpaw answered. "Well, Scorchpaw, that was really good. You can have first pick at the fresh kill pile today." Owlcloud looked amazed also. "You are really going to be a great warrior." She said. "Thanks, Owlcloud." Scorchpaw felt embarrassed at all the attention she was getting. On the way back to camp Scorchpaw walked next to Thrushpaw. "It's ok," she said. "You'll beat him next time." "Thanks, Scorchpaw." He said. Scorchpaw could tell Thrushpaw didn't believe her, "Hey maybe fighting isn't your thing maybe it's something else like tree climbing or swimming, you never know we really haven't tried a lot since our apprenticeship started" said Scorchpaw trying desperately to cheer up her littermate. "I'm really okay Scorchpaw, I mean at first I was upset because I thought that I needed to beat Rainpaw but then you did and you did it really well so it was all better".


End file.
